Sustainable development
In keeping with its mission, Sépaq plays a major role in the protection of Québec's environmental assets by aiming to integrate environmental, social and economic concerns with development and accessibility for the benefit of Québec residents and future generations. Sustainable development and the protection of the environment are fundamental values guiding the activities of its personnel and the development of services offered to its clientele. These values are well integrated into operations, and are the basis of the work done to go even further and make Sépaq a model business.
Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
Sustainable Development Action Plan 2016-2020
(Extended to March 31, 2023)
The Sustainable Development Action Plan 2016-2020, which entered into force on March 31, 2016, outlines the measures Sépaq intends to take to contribute to the Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2015-2020.
In terms of sustainable development and territorial enhancement, Sépaq is a high-performance organization and it intends to build on this momentum.
For the 2016 to 2020 period, Sépaq will pursue its sustainable development commitment by contributing to four of the eight orientations of the government strategy:
• Strengthen sustainable development governance in the public administration
• Manage natural resources responsibly in a manner that respects biodiversity
• Improve, through prevention, the health of the population
• Ensure sustainable development of the territory and support the vitality of communities
Sépaq's 2016-2020 Sustainable Development Action Plan puts forward fifteen actions, which contribute to four orientations and eight objectives of the government strategy, which are paired with targets and indicators to measure their progress. This plan is the subject of an accountability report produced in Sépaq's annual report.
Extension of the action plan and addition of new structuring actions in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023
In 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques issued guidelines recommending extensions of the action plan, initially to March 31, 2021 and then to March 31, 2022. These guidelines also recommended the addition of new structuring actions for the year 2021-2022, in order to adapt the action plan to new orientations and organisational realities. Finally, a new update as of March 31, 2023 was recommended, which includes the addition of two new actions and an additional indicator, as well as the updating of certain targets.
To this end, these additions and updates are set out in a document included with the Sustainable Development Action Plan 2016-2020. These actions contribute to a fifth of the eight orientations of the government's strategy, namely to promote the production and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Raising awareness and education in sustainable development and environmental protection
The information given to Sépaq’s visitors aims to raise their awareness about the impact of human presence in nature and on the responsibility they share with the staff and the corporation. For example, promotional documentation and information handed out when they enter the establishments suggest concrete actions, such as recycling empty propane tanks. This allows visitors to contribute in a tangible way to reducing the environmental footprint. Finally, the 300,000 people that participated in discovery activities in the parks are introduced to environmental issues and the principles of sustainable development.
In addition, every year more than 30,000 students participate in one of the school activities offered by Sépaq. These include an activity specifically designed for junior secondary geography courses where a park warden comes to class to share with students his or her knowledge about national parks. During other activities, students are asked to come and meet park wardens directly in the parks themselves.
Environmentally responsible purchasing policy
Sépaq has adopted an environmentally responsible purchasing policy that is revised on a periodic basis. The aim of this policy is to promote the acquisition of goods respecting sustainable development criteria, to provide those in charge of making purchases with environmental criteria to be taken into account when purchasing certain goods, and to establish sustainable and responsible procurement practices. The policy includes a list of 10 items that must be acquired in accordance with the aforementioned purchasing criteria and requirements.